ABS-CBN News

Filipina journalist Inday Espina-Varona who was honored in London by international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders dedicated her prize to colleagues facing threats, censorship, and violence.

In her acceptance speech, the veteran journalist said, "I share this with embattled Philippine colleagues: the 185 killed since the 1986 restoration of a fragile, perpetually threatened democracy, the 12 killed in the first two years of President Rodrigo Duterte’s rule."

"This is also for colleagues who face death threats, vilification campaigns, and revocation of access to coverage, for doing what journalists are supposed to do — questioning official acts and claims, especially on issues of human rights and corruption."

Varona early Friday (Manila time) received the Prize for Independence during the 2018 Press Freedom Awards for "resisting pressure (including financial, political, economic or religious pressure) or because of the values and rules that enable them to resist."

She was also acknowledged as one of the founders of #BabaeAko, a social media campaign that "informs and mobilizes the public on women’s rights issues in response to Duterte’s many misogynistic comments and attacks on women."

BRAVE JOURNALISTS

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) brought its annual Press Freedom Awards to London for the first time, highlighting the "urgent need" for protection of journalists in an increasingly dangerous year for media.

Some 63 journalists, 11 citizen journalists and four media assistants have been killed so far in 2018, RSF said, including Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi who was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

A total of 55 journalists were killed in the whole of 2017.

Established in 1985 to defend and promote press freedom, Paris-based RSF has been presenting its yearly awards since 1992.

Some 168 journalists, 150 citizen journalists and 19 media assistants are in jail, the organization said.

RSF's 2018 World Press Freedom Index ranks the worst five countries for journalists as China, Syria, Turkmenistan, Eritrea and North Korea, which came last at 180th. - with report from Agence France-Presse